PennPIRG Education Fund - Education Fundhttps://pennpirgedfund.org/media
enSC Johnson Discloses Presence of Over 300 Potential Skin Allergens on Websitehttps://pennpirgedfund.org/news/usf/sc-johnson-discloses-presence-over-300-potential-skin-allergens-website
Tue, 19 Dec 2017 19:47:46 +0000dev59316 at https://pennpirgedfund.org32nd Annual “Trouble in Toyland” Survey Finds Dangerous Toys on Store Shelveshttps://pennpirgedfund.org/news/usf/32nd-annual-%E2%80%9Ctrouble-toyland%E2%80%9D-survey-finds-dangerous-toys-store-shelves
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<p class="normal">Stores nationwide are still offering dangerous and toxic toys this holiday season and, in some cases, ignoring explicit government safety regulations in the process, according to U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) Education Fund’s 32nd annual <em>Trouble in Toyland</em> report. The survey of potentially hazardous toys found that, despite recent progress, consumers must still be wary when shopping for children’s gifts.</p>
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Fri, 17 Nov 2017 18:50:19 +0000kara.cook58756 at https://pennpirgedfund.orgTrouble in Toyland 2017https://pennpirgedfund.org/reports/usf/trouble-toyland-2017
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<p>For over 30 years, U.S. PIRG Education Fund has conducted an annual survey of toy safety, which has led to over 150 recalls and other regulatory actions over the years, and has helped educate the public and policymakers on the need for continued action to protect the health and wellbeing of children.</p>
<p>Toys are safer than ever before, thanks to decades of work by product safety advocates, parents, the leadership of Congress, state legislatures, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). </p>
<p>Among the toys surveyed this year, we found potential choking hazards, and two products with concentrations of lead exceeding federal standards for children’s products. We also found data-collecting toys that may violate children’s privacy laws. This report not only lists the potentially dangerous toys that we found this year, but also describes why and how the toys could harm children. The continued presence of hazards in toys highlights the need for constant vigilance on the part of government agencies and the public to ensure that unsafe toys do not harm children. </p>
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Fri, 17 Nov 2017 19:38:18 +0000kara.cook58761 at https://pennpirgedfund.orgTarget Removes Lead-Laden Fidget Spinners from Store Shelveshttps://pennpirgedfund.org/news/usp/target-removes-lead-laden-fidget-spinners-store-shelves
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<p>Today, Target announced that it will be removing two fidget spinner models that contain well over the legal limit of lead for children’s toys from its store shelves. Target had initially balked at our request to do so, citing a Consumer Product Safety Commission rule stating that general use products directed at adults don’t need to follow the same lead guidelines as children’s products directed at children 12 and under. These two models of fidget spinners, the Fidget Wild Premium Spinner Brass and the Fidget Wild Premium Spinner Metal, were labeled for ages 14 and up.</p>
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Sat, 11 Nov 2017 03:23:11 +0000justin58566 at https://pennpirgedfund.orgTarget Removes Lead-Laden Fidget Spinner From Website, But Still Available For Sale In-Storehttps://pennpirgedfund.org/news/usf/target-removes-lead-laden-fidget-spinner-website-still-available-sale-store
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<p>Since late yesterday afternoon, Target appears to have made the 33,000 ppm-lead containing Fidget Wild Premium Spinner Brass unavailable for sale on its website. U.S. PIRG Education Fund staff went to a Target store today and found the Fidget Wild Premium Spinner Brass was still available for sale in-store, despite the website saying it was unavailable there. Also yesterday, one of the CPSC’s Commissioners, Elliot F. Kaye, re-stated his opposition to the CPSC’s guidance and the acting chairman's statement when he tweeted, “Seems obvious fidget spinners are toys and should comply with all applicable federal safety standards.”</p>
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Fri, 10 Nov 2017 21:09:16 +0000lbrennan58556 at https://pennpirgedfund.orgHigh Levels of Lead Found in Fidget Spinnershttps://pennpirgedfund.org/news/usp/high-levels-lead-found-fidget-spinners-0
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<p>U.S. PIRG Education Fund found fidget spinners with high levels of lead for sale at Target stores across the country. Parents and consumers need to know about these lead-laden toys, especially because we alerted Target and the toy’s distributor, Bulls i Toy, to our findings, but they refused to address the problem. The toxic fidget spinners are still available both in toy aisles at Target stores and on its website. Incredibly, Target and Bulls i Toy defend their inaction by pointing to the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) declaration that fidget spinners are NOT technically “children’s products” subject to legal limits for lead.</p>
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Tue, 07 Nov 2017 21:25:39 +0000lbrennan58356 at https://pennpirgedfund.orgLead In Fidget Spinnershttps://pennpirgedfund.org/reports/usp/lead-fidget-spinners-0
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<p>While lead in toys has become less prevalent in recent years, U.S. PIRG Education Fund tested several models of one of today’s hottest toys, fidget spinners, for the toxic heavy metal. Laboratory results indicated that two fidget spinners purchased at Target and distributed by Bulls i Toy, L.L.C. contained extremely high levels of lead. U.S. PIRG Education Fund calls on Target and Bulls i Toy to immediately recall these two fidget spinners and investigate how such high levels of lead were found in these toys. Also, we call on the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to classify these fidget spinners as toys and hold them to federal standards for lead in children’s products. </p>
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Mon, 06 Nov 2017 23:59:27 +0000jnewman58331 at https://pennpirgedfund.orgU.S. PIRG CONSUMER ADVOCATE MIKE LITT TESTIFIES AT CONGRESSIONAL HEARING ON EQUIFAXhttps://pennpirgedfund.org/news/usp/us-pirg-consumer-advocate-mike-litt-testifies-congressional-hearing-equifax
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<p>Our Consumer Advocate, Mike Litt, was invited by Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Ranking Member of the House Financial Services Committee, to testify this week at a Congressional hearing on the Equifax data breach. This was a continuation of the committee's previously held hearing on October 5th entitled "Examining the Equifax Data Breach."</p>
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Fri, 27 Oct 2017 19:35:30 +0000lbrennan58231 at https://pennpirgedfund.orgStatement on Walmart’s Decision to Strengthen Chemical Footprint Policyhttps://pennpirgedfund.org/news/usp/statement-walmart%E2%80%99s-decision-strengthen-chemical-footprint-policy
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<p>PennPIRG Education Fund applauds retail giant Walmart for <a href="http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170927005309/en/Walmart-Strengthens-Sustainable-Chemistry-Commitment-Reports-Progress">updating</a> its sustainability policy to restrict toxic chemicals in 90,000 products including cosmetics and skincare items, infant products, and household cleaners.</p>
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Thu, 28 Sep 2017 16:22:07 +0000tmccann57781 at https://pennpirgedfund.orgChain Reaction IIIhttps://pennpirgedfund.org/reports/usp/chain-reaction-iii
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<p>The third annual Chain Reaction report, which grades companies on their antibiotics policies and practices, found that 14 out of the top 25 restaurants in the U.S. have taken steps to restrict the routine use of antibiotics in the production of the chicken they serve, up from nine just one year ago. While restaurant chains made great progress on chicken, the groups who authored the report found that there were no new commitments to limit antibiotic use in beef and pork.</p>
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Tue, 26 Sep 2017 15:17:53 +0000lbrennan57571 at https://pennpirgedfund.org